1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional, spherical sliding jigsaw puzzle. More precisely the present invention relates to a three-dimensional, spherical ball surface segment slide jigsaw.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In principle, the present invention is of a combination of a traditional two-dimensional slide-jigsaw and of a three-dimensional ball-jigsaw. (See the patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,340, GB245004).
The use of ball-jigsaws are known in the prior art and exist in the markets and the same that are known by the following trade names: RUBIK CUBE™; Pyraminx (tetrahedron); Ecuador (ball); IMPOSSIBALL™ (ball). Solutions relating to the field are disclosed in the following patents or in the patent applications: WO9427694 Three Dimensional Puzzle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,340 Spherical puzzle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,323 Spherical puzzle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,484 Three-dimensional sliding element puzzle; SU1388073 THREE-DIMENSIONAL PUZZLE; SU1391673, GAME/PUZZLE “SAIDOV'S BALL”; SU1719001 THREE-DIMENSIONAL LOGIC GAME; HU9602320 THREE DIMENSIONAL PUZZLE BASED ON THE MOVEMENT OF PIECES OF SURFACE SLIDING OR ROTATING ON A SPHERICAL SURFACE; MD980102 Tridimensional logic puzzle; DE3138050 Sliding sphere; WO2006089836 Ball-shaped puzzle.
In the existing 3D ball-jigsaws, where pieces are slided a whole ball circumference (“equator” or “meridian”) at a time, it is difficult to control a movement of an individual piece, because one must have to rotate at the same the whole circumference along the guide groove which is in the ball, and to aim crossings of the circumferences at place, also on the ball's opposing half. Turning of the circumference takes place in these balls by means of a tight grip by one hand, while the other hand at the same tries to hold the ball “from the end” in other words from the calotte, respectively. For easing this weakness the triangular corners (8 Pcs) in many ball-models are concaved or shaped otherwise differently, whereby the surface has no longer a spherical design. The surface areas of the mobile pieces of these existing solutions are in addition relatively small, and the locked triangular corner-areas that are in the ball are on the other hand relatively large, in other words bad from a point of shuffling a surface figure. In addition, these are especially awkward to manufacture industrially as large series; there are several pieces to be manufactured and assembled separately, which pieces also have several areas to be printed.